Parsons Brinckerhoff designing rehab for Pennsylvania viaduct

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff for preliminary engineering, final design and construction-phase services for the rehabilitation of the Mahoning Avenue Viaduct in New Castle, Pa.

The viaduct is a 90-year-old, 1,195-foot-long structure that carries two lanes of SR 18 over the Shenango River and several sets of railroad tracks.

Under its contract, Parsons Brinckerhoff will perform an in-depth inspection of the bridge substructure and superstructure in order to determine necessary structural repairs and safety improvements, update the existing load rating analysis, determine the remaining fatigue life for fracture critical members, analyze the truss gusset plates, assess repainting requirements and replace the bearings and deck expansion joints. Based on the outcomes of the inspection and preliminary analysis, the firm will continue design services through final design and then provide construction-phase services for the rehabilitation of the structure.